At the recent NY Antiquorum Auction there was a whole collection of Svend Andersen pieces including this lovely Jour et Nuit. I have wanted a watch like this since I first saw the Cartier version many years ago, but never pulled the trigger because Cartier is not a brand I collect. However, I am interested in independent horology, so when I saw this version and learned that Svend had actually designed the Cartier version, I had to have it. This is my second independent, and I have some others in my sights.

Unlike the 38mm Automatic Cartier version, this Svend Andersen version uses the bigger Manual Wind Piquet Cal 15" as the base movement which fits beautifully into the 43mm case and has the added benefit of being very flat. That allows the watch to keep a low profile on the wrist despite its size. This watch was produced circa 2004, but I do not know how many were produced since I have not seen any with a number higher than mine. In the past few years Svend has produced another version, the Grand Jour et Nuit, which is slight larger and has a different dial, but uses the same movement as far as I can tell.